Trendy Tabloid

Us weekly is mostly about what the stars are wearing and the latest trend on television. There are some tabloid style photos which are completely tasteless, and I'm not really sure who cares if Brittany Spears had a latte at Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf on 4th street last Wednesday, but mostly it's a fair gossip magazine. The articles are all really short and definitely without much depth, but most people aren't looking for that when they read Us weekly. The fashion police is pretty funny; it's just a bunch of comments about star's clothes from a group of people with no real authority on the subject. Most are comedians or writers, which is probably why it's so funny. This magazine is definitely a quick read, and I don't feel any smarter when I'm done reading it, but it does keep me up to date on the Hollywood side of pop culture.

The Best Fluff On Hollywood!

This magazine is of course geared towards those interested in movies, celebrity, pop culture, and mainstream music. So I'll review this magazine with the intended audience in mind, with respect to how this magazine compares to other pop culture/Hollywood magazines.

First, it is true that US Weekly has changed dramatically in the past year or two. The magazine has adopted a British-tabloid style of journalism that has made it a top seller on newsstands. As a result, however, US Weekly's depth on Hollywood, and its reporting credibility has sunk to an all time low. Many of its rumors, unidentified news sources, reports from an insider, etc. are extremely fun to read, but also lacking in accuracy. With that said, readers should acknowledge that a good portion of information may be created by the writers and editors in order to deliver a more entertaining story.

Although some of the gossip-like reports may be nothing more than a figment of a writer's imagination (resembling a fan's biggest fantasy), US Weekly should be credited for its well-versed skills in crafting sensationalism. Whether a page is about Collin Farrell or American Idol, the magazine does a wonderful job of delivering a colorful page full of photographs and trivial tidbits. After a hard day's work or long hours studying, US Weekly is definitely a welcomed refreshment.

Now whether this magazine matches up to its other celebrity-magazine competitors is debatable. US Weekly lacks the great stories and interviews of Rolling Stone or Vanity Fair, but is a lot more enjoyable than People; it also suffices the cravings of those InStyle fans who like to check out fashion do's and don'ts. Overall, if it's fluff you want, then nobody does it better right now than US Weekly. The magazine's publishers don't even pretend anymore that some of its loyal subscribers are illiterate!

*** Summary: If you want substance, look elsewhere (i.e. The New Yorker, The Economist, The Nation). But if you're high on cherry squishy, nothing is better than pictures of J-Lo's posterior or a conversation with Britney's bodyguard. This magazine could, however, pack its pages a little bigger -- preferably with exclusive interviews, and stories that take longer than one night to write.

Airy content for airheads, but ...

This magazine is loaded with gossip, stories about overexposed celebrities, gossip, tiny reviews, candid and usually unflattering pictures of celebs, trivia and gossip. Its saving grace is 'Fashion Police.' Are you at all mean-spirited? If so, you will love the opportunity to see celebrities, who have money, personal shoppers and hairdressers at their disposal, looking unbelieveably tacky and unattractive.